Attachment for crutches.



J. w. RIGKS.

ATTACHMENT FOR GRUTGHES.

APPLICATION IILBDJAK 20, 1908.

909,129. 7 Patented Jan.5,1909.

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To all 10710121 it may concern.

. described. fully .tion; and Fig. 3,

UNITED sTArrEs i-wranr OFFICE.

.l Ol'INlV. KICKS, OI" (:LOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK.

ATTACHMENT FOR CRUTCHES.

Be it known that l, Joim W. Rl'oiis, a i citizen of the United States, residing at Gloversville, county of Fulton, and State of New i York, have invented certain new and useful 5 Improvements in Attachmentsfor (.rutrhes, i of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to attacln'nents for crutches.

The object of the present invention is the PIOdSlOTI of a novel anti-slipping attachment tor crutches, wherein improved means for holding the anti-slipping rod will be provided, enabling the user to quickly and easily project or retract said anti-slipping rod and l cause its retention in either position.

One embodiment of their vcntion is that hereinafter and set forth in the appended claim and which is shown in the acimmpanyingr d rawings whermn:----

Figure l. is a side view of a crutch provided with my invention, certain parts being. in tion and dotted lines representing the flexed 3 position of the rod; Fig. .2, an enlarged. detail View of the locking device for soruring the rod in retracted or projected. position, r 'lull lines representing the retracted position 5 of the rod and dotted lines its projected )osia perspective detail or the kceper-or the rod.

The numeral 1 designates a crutch of the i usual or ordinary construction provided, ii preferred, with a rubber tip 2 'l'or its lower end, said tip not being, essential, however. One side of the crutch is grooved at 3 and i this groove is extended into an aperture 4 l which runs through the end of the crutch and through the rubber tip 2, if the latter be used, i said groove being bridged by one or more l plates 5 secured by screws 6.

The numeral 7 designates a rod of more or 3 less springy or resilient property which lies ,3 in the groove 3 and the aperture 4 and is adapted to be reciprocated therein, said rod Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 20. 1908.

; gagemont of the finger I the tip of the crutch is Patented Ian. 5, 1909. Serial No. 411,689. 4

being retained by the plate 5. The tip 8 of the rod is pointed and its upper end is provided with a finger iece 9, said upper end being slidable in a Keeper 10. The finger piece 9 may be locked in either of the positions shown to retract or project the tip 8 so that the attachment may be brought into use or rendered inactive by the user.

When the crutch is to be used indoors or on surfaces which are not slippery or icy, the attachment will be retracted and the end of the crutch used in the ordinary manner but if the crutch is to be used on an icy pavement or a slippery surface, the point 8 can be projected and locked in this projected position by en piece 9 with its keeper 10, the saidpoint- 8 afiording means whereby prevented from slip ping in any manner whatsoever. As shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the springy or re silient property of the rod permits it to flex or yieli acting as a cushion to relieve the user ofany unpleasant jar.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

The combination with a crutch, of a slid- I a prong located adjacent the end of the crutch, said rqd being able rotatable rod having slidably mounted on the crutch and provided with a laterally extending locking member, and a keeper t 1 dependent devices at different heights thereof for enga ement .by the locking member aforesaid tohold the prong in either retracted or projected position.

in testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. JOHN W. HICKS. Witnesses:

- CHARLES R. WALTAMATH,

WILLIAM S. CAssEDY.

under the weight of the user, thereby- *ough which the rod is slidf able and in which -1t is rotatable having in- 

